Nursery Rhymes and All Things Sweet
by Sunbeams and Custard Creams
Summary: Anya, Stella and Mac struggle to find their killer who has a thing for nursery rhymes, with the lack of evidence and leads the team are under pressure to find the culprit before they strike again.
1. Hickory Dickory

Hickory Dickory

Val smiled to herself as she drove up her drive today was her first day off in months although she had spent the morning getting groceries there was something nice about being able to take your time doing it. She carried the bags into her home, it was spotlessly clean only because she slept there and that was about it placing the bags down in the kitchen she glanced to the time making sure she wasn't running late her friend was expecting her round for coffee. She froze though hearing a dark voice that sounded like it came from her living room.

"Val...Oh Valerie what have you done."

She didn't live with anyone and she didn't recognise the voice she cautiously walked through her house but couldn't see anyone her heart started racing in her chest as she hear the voice coming from the kitchen instead.

"How do you sleep at night Valerie? Please do tell."

She swallowed there was something sinister about the way her name was said she slowly walked back into the kitchen only to hear the voice echo through her once comforting home.

"I know your secret Valerie and I do not like it one bit...you must pay the price for what you have done and the suffering you have caused."

The blood drained from her face as she ran to her house phone only to find the cable cut she was in a state of panic now as she ran to the nearest window she had to get out only to find the windows had been sealed. Fear gripped her when she heard the front doorbell it was her only escape so she ran towards the door in a cold sweat and answered it to a delivery guy.

"Ma'am I have a parcel here for you if you could please sign on the line."

He held out his clipboard for her and she signed her hand shaking nervously as she did so her heart still pounding in her chest, the delivery guy was seemingly unaware of the woman's distress it was only then she noticed he had a set of earphones in and was possibly in his own little world. He took the clipboard without checking it and handed her the medium sized box she was surprised by its weight. Once she was back inside she paused her heart still pounding in her chest figuring it had all been part of her imagination only she couldn't remember ordering anything. Opening the box she screamed in terror at the block of frozen rats and mice that had begun to thaw and the note that lay so delicately on top.

"_Hickory Dickory Dock,_

_The mouse ran up the clock,_

_The clock struck one,_

_And you were done."_

Val looked towards the clock just as she heard it start to chime; each note hit her like a brick as she caught a glance of a dark figure in her hallway mirror, it was the mouse mask and the terrifying red eyes that stopped the scream from leaving her throat. She didn't even hear her cell ringing in the kitchen she was frozen she couldn't move the note slipped from her fingers bloodied, as she crashed to the ground.


	2. In The Past

**In the Past**

Stella glanced to Mac in the driver's seat of the car, the journey was usually quiet she then glanced back to Anya in the backseat using the wing mirror of their SUV she looked away quickly seeing the young Detective looking straight back at her. Minutes felt like hours and the silence was beginning to grate on Stella, it didn't seem to bother Mac that Anya had lapsed into a world of only speaking when she had to since her split with Zooey.

"Anya what have you got planned for the weekend?"

Stella realised the question was a feeble attempt at getting conversation started before she had even finished especially when she saw Mac trying to hide a smile out of the corner of her eye. Anya took a moment before she replied, making Stella wonder if she had interrupted Anya day dreaming or something.

"If we get a weekend that is, this case doesn't sound straight forward."

Hearing Anya's reply made Stella sigh she knew that she was right but she knew the young Detective was still hung up on her split and it was beginning to pull Anya down in her abilities as a Detective.

"Anya you have to put her in the past, you're a good Detective but all this is really beginning to affect your work."

Mac looked to Stella surprised she had dared to speak her mind with Anya especially with Anya in the mood she was now and he was even more surprised when Anya just nodded her head he had expected more of a reaction. The car was plunged back into silence again until Mac pulled up at the scene and put the hand brake on and breathed a sigh of relief that there were no press members there. All three of them got out of the car at the same time and walked towards the police tape and ducked under it in unison making it look like a scene from a movie.

All three of them combed through the house after pausing to look at the female victim, Anya was in the kitchen when she heard a faint crackle she paused looking around before following the sound. It was like a radio picking up interference she followed it to an air vent and without hesitation she got a screw driver and started unscrewing it although she jumped slightly when she heard Mac's voice behind her.

"I know I said don't miss anything but this is obsessive."

Anya turned to look at him and half rolled her eyes, she seemed in better spirits now that she was immersed in her work and Mac knew it.

"I heard something and its coming from in here."

Mac looked at her oddly now he was about to say something witty when he heard the crackle as well he came and bent down beside and helped her unscrew the rest of it something he knew would annoy Anya but curiosity was getting the better of him now. Both of them froze when a male voice came from within the air vent Mac reached for his gun as Anya looked at him strangely there was no way someone could fit in there.

"Detectives nice of you to join me...maybe together we can get justice for the defenceless, for the voiceless."

Anya lifted the grid away to reveal a two way radio she looked to Mac who stood up quicker than she had ever seen him move in a while she got her gun and Mac ran out the front of the house while Anya went out the back followed by a team of officers.

"He must be around here somewhere find him."

She half growled at the officers sickened by the game of torment the male must have played on the female victim laying in the hallway

But the time evening came Mac and Stella stood in front of a board with everything they had so far, they stood in silence half waiting for Anya half taking time to form their own opinions about the case so far. Anya walked in carrying three take away coffee's which was a welcomed sight for both Mac and Stella and they both gave her a slight smile in thanks before looking back at the board again and Mac and Stella looked at Anya surprised when she was the first to speak up.

"We know he is clever, he managed to watch us going through that house without being found. And he has some sort of personal vendetta against our vic for some reason. I did a little research and our vic is Valerie Deschanel and she is an apprentice researcher at that animal testing lab on the edge of town. I spoke to her friends and none of them knew what she did as a living."

Stella gave a slight smile now realising that Anya was back on form and gave a nod of her head she knew what Anya was suggesting. Mac walked away when his cell rang and Stella used that as an opportunity to question Anya about Zoey.

"I know you loved her Anya but you deserve better, you deserve someone who loves you back."

She noticed Anya shrug and was surprised when Anya decided to open up to her.

"I know Stella...even when we got together I didn't know where I stood with her she lead me on and if I questioned anything she would snap at me saying I was reading too much into things so when she left me the first time I was heartbroken. But she came back and told me a bunch of lies saying how there was no spark between her and her lover I took her back and forgive her only to have it all thrown back in my face again it really is over now she can live a life of lies some of the things she said was truly awful no wonder her surname was Savage."

Anya looked to Stella and gave a smile before looking back to the board again ending that conversation with no intention of ever talking about it again. The silence was only broken when Mac came back across Anya had never seen him look so serious and Stella knew it could only be bad news.

"The autopsy report is back there is an unknown drug in our victims system but it is the same drug that was in every one of the frozen rats and mice found at the scene. The drug appears to have hardened all the vital organs in our victims body and caused a heart attack. There is no record anywhere of what this drug is for and who has commissioned it."

Anya and Stella just stood there now neither of them expected anything quite like this Anya got her cell out and called her sister and told her she wasn't coming home tonight while Stella called her neighbour to go and feed her cat. Before they were finished Danny came rushing through and called them all to come through to his computer.


End file.
